Naruto The Lost
by TheMaskedGod
Summary: After a mission goes wrong Naruto is declared dead and added to the Memorial stone There will be a coupling in this story No harem
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hello people I wanted to write this Authors Note to tell you that I am still writing (or re writing) the next chapter of The Masked Lord, the reason I never posted the second chapter is my computer died on me with a kill virus. I got mad and didn't write again until recently, anyway this is a story that I started writing because I had a daydream about a fraction on it while I was at work. Anyway comment what you think about if you do want to see more of The Masked Lord. 

It was a dark stormy day in Konohagakure as people gathered around the Memorial Stone. A new name had just been added, flowers stacked around the monument. Among the silent crowd stood Ino, Shino, Kiba and Akamaru, Choji, Hinata, Sakura and Sasuke. They all stood there almost unable to believe that he was gone of all people. Sakura walked up to the stone solemnly, she held a picture in her hands and squeezed tight against her chest. The tears burning her eyes as they welled up and ran down her cheeks she bent down and place a picture of team seven against the stone.

She began to walk away when Hinata broke down in a fit of tears and sobbing as she couldn't bear the thought of Naruto not being with everyone. Not having told him that she loved him and now she will never have the chance. Ino and Kiba walked over in a hurry to comfort the young woman, Kiba held her while Ino placed her hand of her back. Both of them holding everything back so they can be strong for their friend.

Choji just stood there thinking back on all the good times he had with Naruto, all the times they skipped class to snack and goof off. Shino acted as he always did althought it didn't show seeing Naruto's name on that stone killed him.

From the back of the group of people Ayame and Teuchi walked up to the stone carrying a bowl of their Famous ramen, both of them had been crying and Ayame still was. She took the steaming bowl from her father and placed right under Narutos name. "Naruto… you have always been such a bright person and you have brought such light into this world." As the words came out of her mouth her voice began to shake "You were like the little brother to me and now that your gone the world seems darker, but you will always live on within our hearts and we shall carry your spirit with us forever."

With that Teuchi walked up to his daughter placing his hand on her shoulders and together they walked away leaving the stone along with everybody else. Sasuke stay there for a couple minutes blankly staring at monument. When an Anbu member appeared infront of him. "Sorry to interrupt, but Lord Hokage wants to see you about the mission."

Sasuke turned to the woman who wore a bore mask on her face and a standard anbu uniform, looking her over for a minute. Taking a breath in for a minute he responds in his monotone voice "Yes, I will be there shortly." The Anbu took that as her que to leave as Sasuke turned to head to the Hokage's office.

Kakashi looked out the window of his new office, he had been appointed Hokage just a few months ago and now one his stundents and friends had died on a mission that he personally choose for Sasuke and Naruto to go on. It should have been an easy mission for the two of them alone but something didn't go as planned. They couldn't even recover Naruto's body for a proper burial. A knocking at his door brought him out of his thoughts. "Come!" he ordered and Sasuke walked in the room as Kakashi took his seat behind the desk. He looked over the Uchiha and noticed how tired he looked. "You haven't been sleeping have you Sasuke?" Kakashi asked but he knew the answer and Sasuke knew he knew the answer as well.

Sasuke looked at his sensei without a word beings said until Kakashi motioned for him to give his report. "We had tracked out target to the Land of Demons when we arrived we had found a small town with several bodied mutilated and experimented on"

~Fade to Flashback~

Naruto and Sasuke walks into the town, very few buildings spread around inside the wooden walls of the village. As they walked through people stared at them giving dirity looks and murmured about they two strangers. When a rock was thrown through the air and struck Naruto in the back of the head. Naruto turned around and wanted to yell at the person who threw the rock but saw a few kids with tears in their eye. A small boy with short brown hair and one blue eye the other and been bandaged up walk a step closer and yelled, "Get out of our town, you're not welcome here ninja!"

Soon after that all the other kids joined in while all the adults watched on wanting to stop the children form picking a fight with these two ninja but not wanting to get hurt themselves. It was only when the village leader came out a building off to right of the children did the children stop yelling.

"Children what have you done?" He asked the worry and fear in his voice, he was terrified of something and Naruto felt that something was them. "Please master Ninja don't hurt the children, they don't know any better. I give you my word they won't ever don't anything like this again."

Naruto held his hands up with his trademark smile and said "Hey don't worry about it, kids will be kids right." He wanted to reassure the village head that they weren't here to cause trouble for anyone.

Sasuke looked at the scene and sighed in annoyance and then looked at the man infront of them. He was an older man about 45 or so, tall with some recent scars on his face and neck that looked like they were from a fire jutsu. He was bald and clean shaven and his eyes tell the tale of a man who seen horrible things. "Listen we're here to find a man in his early thirties with the leaf village symbol branded on his right hand."

The village leader's eyes widen in shock when he heard that, there infront of him stood the answer to his village's problems offering to take care of it for them. "Yes I know of the man you speak of! Please follow me." He told Naruto and Sasuke as he turned and walked away and they followed. "The man you're looking for came here about month ago, and he was very nice for the first few days. However he became secretive and soon after that people started going missing." He explained as they walked through to the other side of the village. "A few corpses turned up with signs of experimentation performed on them. A while after that a few more appeared with body parts missing, when I asked him if he know anything about it. He used a fire jutsu on my face and then to make sure that nobody else asked any questions…"

Naruto finished his story for him "He attacked that kid who threw the rock, didn't he?" The leader nodded his head. Naruto casted his eyes down at the ground, he felt bad for wanting yell at those kids more now than ever. "Do you know where he is hiding right now?" Naruto wanted this guy now more than ever. Sasuke could tell what Naruto was thinking, it was the same as always wanting to help everyone

They stopped at the south gate, he had it opened for the two ninja. "Hes hiding in a cave about a half mile south of here, after we kicked him out of the village." He looked Naruto and Sasuke in the eyes pleading "Please get him and take him far away, make sure he can't do this again."

They both nodded in agreement a then both jumped into the trees speeding off to their target's hideout. Naruto wanted to get this guy and make sure that he couldn't hurt anyone ever again. Sasuke on the other hand wanted to get home and back to work rebuilding his clan with his girlfriend Sakura. They stopped in front of the cave entrance and the both checked their equipment, after a quick check they entered the cave.

The inside of the cave was dimly lit, probably to not attract attention from the outside. It wasn't a very large cave but there were body spewed about. Upon closer inspection they saw missing body parts or bodies so destoried they hardly look human anymore. The walls coated in dried blood and as they moved further in cave the blood on the wall became more fresh and wet. They finally got to the end where the man they were looking for was working on his own body.

The fugitive sensed them the second they walked in but didn't care very much. He turned to them his left arm was no longer human but looked like that of a demon. His eyes were two different colors one red and other was blue. Naruto looked at his eyes and realized that the blue eye was that kids eye. He became mad and moved quickly reaching down into his pouch on his leg throwing three kunai with explosive tags on them. However they were batted way towards the ceilings but they didn't go off like they should have.

Sasuke followed up with lightning fast handseals and yelled out "fire style fireball jutsu." He breathed out a ball of fire at the man turned monster giving Naruto cover behind the flames. Naruto used the body flicker to appear behind the monster. The target blocked the fire attack but was unprepared for Naruto's new quick formed Rasengan into his spin.

The monster let out a loud roar in pain as Naruto pushed the attack into his back. The technique started to flicker out of existence as the monster turned around and smacked Naruto into the wall. Sasuke activated his sharingan to track his movements and he saw that he was molding chakra in his left arm. "Hidden Jutsu: Nail Gun!" The nails in his left arm shot towards Naruto only to hit a log, as Sasuke use the substitution Jutsu on him.

Naruto got up off the ground were he was dropped and looked at Sasuke. "Hey shock and awe?" Naruto asked Sasuke as he got on the other side of the target. Sasuke agreed as he speed through hand signs and held his palm down towards the ground and held his arm with other hand as lightning chakra formed in his hand making aloud chripping noise. Naruto made a shadow clone and formed a Rasengan, once it was formed he attempted to slam it into his targets back but he turned around and blocked it with his demonic arm. He resisted the force of the attack temporally but ended up launched back towards Sasuke, who was waiting with his own attack.

The target came flying at Sasuke as he slammed his attack into and through his back while yelling "Chidori!" The monster felt the attack go through his back and out through his chest. Blood pouring out of the wound as Sasuke pulls his arm out the body that then falls to the ground.

Naruto looks at Sasuke then looks to their target back to Sasuke. "Sasuke take the body outside I will finish up in here. Make sure that his work will never be repeated or copied"

"Fine, don't take to long… idoit" He turned with a smirk over the victory he shared with his life long rival and friend. Naruto walked out with him and turned around gathering any data of value and burning the bodied their target left behind. When he got back to the site of their battle he looked around to see where the man was sitting was a book. He walked to it and picked it up but in doing so he activated a trap bomb that went off in his face. He turned in time to protect himself but the flames hit his own explosive tags left in the ceiling setting them off to explode clasping the ceiling on him.

The explosion was heard from the outside and Sasuke rushed in to get Naruto out. The bodies where burning out of control something wasn't right they shouldn't be burning this fast. Sasuke ran faster and found Naruto trying to get boulder off himself. He couldn't get them off of himself he attempted to make clones but was only able to make one who couldn't get the boulder off either.

Sasuke got there in time to try and help pull the boulders off of Naruto. As Naruto sniffed the air and noticed natural gas in the air. "Sasuke get out of here the caves about to explode." Sasuke ignored what Naruto was trying to tell him. "Sasuke you got to go now, rebuild your clan make Sakura happy" Still Sasuke wasn't listening that's when he was punched in the stomach knocking the wind out of him and the clone picked Sasuke up and carried him outside. Naruto watched as his best friend was carried away "Live well and carry on the Will of Fire."

The clone got outside performed a fire jutsu to dispose of the body of their target and then set Sasuke down who was ready to run back into the cave. The Shadow Clone disappeared out of existence and then the cave exploded in fire and then caved in filling the whole cave with rocks.

Sasuke looked on in horror and yelled for his friend "NARUTO!"

~Flash back ends~

"That's how it happened Lord Hokage, I tired to get him out but I couldn't." Sasuke looked deeply saddened by the story it weighed heavily on him. More than anyone thought it would even himself.

Kakashi looked at him with sadness in his eye he wanted to help his student but he knew there was nothing he could do to help. "Thank you Sasuke, I wont need a written report on this, this mission started off as a B-ranked mission but now I will be moved to S-ranked and is on a need to know basis."  
He took a breath and thought this through "Sasuke I know you did all you could but take a week or two off, spend time with Sakura let her help you.

Sasuke stood at attention "Yes Sir!" Kakashi motioned for him to leave and Sasuke bowed and left his office.

Kakashi looked out his window and thought of the Fourth, of Naruto the boy who wanted to surpass all other Hokages. He thought back to Obito and then back to Minato and Kushina and was saddened by the lose of his sensei's only son. Looking into the glass at everything he could see and what he couldn't see. "Im sorry sensei"


	2. Chapter 2

A few weeks had passed since the news of Naruto's death but the village hadn't quite moved on, while the day to day returned to normal something still felt off. None of the civilians could put a finger on it, the shinobi all knew one of the brightest lights in the whole village was out. Shops had opened their doors and sold their goods, restaurants welcomed people by the dozen and the sun was bright almost every day, however it always felt like there was a storm just overhead threatening the village with a downpour.

Ino stood at the counter in her family's flower shop. It wasn't a busy day, but busy enough to be eventful. She would smile whenever a customer walked through the door and cheerfully assist everyone answering their questions. With the shop empty she would change almost instantly like taking a mask off, she would lose herself in thought. Thoughts of not knowing Naruto as well as she could have. They were friends but not really close, they would hang out in groups of their friends and they might talk but not like she would with Sakura or how he would with Shikamaru or Choji.

The bell above the door rang out with a chime, bringing her back out of her mind like waking from hypnosis, and with that her mask was back on. Ino greeted the new customer without looking "Hello and welcome to the Yamanaka Flower Shop is there anything I can help you with?" she asked with a friendly smile. When she finally did look at the customer she found it was Hinata. Outside of going on a mission or two with her team she was rarely seen out and about.

She moved like a ghost not making a sound as she walked up to Ino. Her raven hair was unkempt and hung in front of her face hiding her eyes. Her skin seemed paler than normal. When she got to the counter and lifted her head she wasn't wearing any kind of make-up and her normally clear eyes were tinted red. In a solemn voice Hinata spoke up "Hello Ino could you please get me a bouquet of lilies and add a single rose in the middle of it?" The order wasn't that strange a lot of people asked for mixed flowers but Ino was worried.

Her smile was gone, replaced with a sympathetic frown and her eyes showed the concern she felt for her friend. "Hinata are you alright?" She asked and continued before she could get a response. "We haven't seen much of you lately and when we do you look worse each time." Hinata just looked down at the floor in response. Ino pressed the question again "Hinata please I'm your friend let me help you."  
With that last statement Hinata snapped at Ino with a loud voice "PLEASE JUST GET THE FLOWERS!" There was no anger behind her words no ill will, just sadness and a desire to be alone. Ino did as Hinata asked and started to arrange the flowers while still keeping an eye on Hinata. She knew that Kiba was trying everything he could to make her feel better during this but Hinata had withdrawn into herself. Everyone knew that Hinata would get better sooner or later. Ino also knew that when she did get better that Kiba would be there for her to hold her up and keep her in high spirits. It wasn't very common knowledge and it was doubtful that Hinata knew but Kiba was borderline in love with her. He would never push it or force the issue but all he wanted was for Hinata to be happy.

She had finished arranging the lilies and now she was at the roses looking for the biggest one she could find. She was carefully examining each one for slight flaw or imperfections; their normal powerful aroma seeming duller. Finally finding one she thought was perfect she carefully lifted the rose from the others and placed in the center of the bouquet. She wrapped them first in a light piece of green tinted paper and then in plastic. Looking over them she thought they looked immaculately beautiful but sad. The rose alone, and lost in a white sea of lilies. She wondered if that was how Hinata felt right now. Alone and lost without Naruto to guide her through it all. A ship lost at sea with no light to help guide them in.

Bringing the flowers over to Hinata she handed the bouquet to her and asked if she needed anything else. The only response Hinata gave was a subtle shake of the head as she reach to give the payment to Ino. Ino stopped her with a raised hand "No need Hinata the flowers are on me, just try to get better okay." Again she only received the slight nod of her head and Hinata turned and left the shop. Ino knew she should smile and thank her for coming and tell her to come again but all she could manage was a limp wave while quietly saying "bye, Hinata."

It was now about four o'clock and Ino had decided to close up shop a little early today. She wasn't feeling like dealing with customers anymore and wanted to go for a walk. Cashing out the register into the safe, she turned off the light flipped the sign to read closed and locked up. She didn't know where she was going but she picked a direction and walked that way, passing Naruto's apartment building. There was talks that the some of the village council wanted to make it into a small museum and let villagers and visitors tour "The Home of The Hero" but Lord Sixth put an end to that idea. There were some attempts at a break-in but seals on the doors and windows prevented them and alerted the Anbu. Anything Naruto owned seem to now have value on the market as collectables more valuable than others.

She kept walking, this time taking a slightly different direction and found herself at the Memorial stone where Naruto's name had been added not that long ago. There was no body recovered from the mission or the joint recovery operation lead by Sasuke and Priestess Shion. There was nothing left in the cave beside molten rock. Looking at the Memorial stone Ino saw the bouquet she made for Hinata resting against it with a framed photo of Naruto. The picture was a young Naruto when he was fresh out of the academy, smiling the goofy smile he always had. The sight of the picture tugged slightly at Ino's heart but she decided it was time to move on and keep walking.

The sun was starting to set. Ino had been all over the village and now found herself in Training Grounds Three, which as of last week with overwhelming approval from the village council was renamed The Uzumaki Field. In her peripheral vision she could see light flaring into life and then dying slowly. Looking over Ino spotted Sakura standing in the field, this time lighting a few lights that die slowly. Ino recognizrd that the lights are being created by a fire style jutsu and if Sakura was here then that meant that Sasuke was likely training further in the wooded area of the field.

She walked over to Sakura with more lights from the jutus illuminating the area and creating long shadows that swallowed everything in their path including both Sakura and Ino. Sakura heard Ino walking up to her and turned around with a friendly smile "hey Ino, what brings you here?"

Ino walked up beside Sakura and was about to answer when the screech of a chidori was heard followed by the sound of an impact and explosion. "I was just taking a walk through the village." She answered when the noise stopped. "I closed the store early today and just wanted a break from the customers." Ino added. Sakura didn't respond to that and just looked at her with a caring smile that she had adopted since Sasuke came home. It was clear that Sakura was having just as hard of time as everyone else but she was much better at hiding it.

After a few moments of silence Sakura spoke up again "you know Sasuke has been out here every day since he's gotten home, training every chance he can." She looked down at the ground sadness filling her eyes "I don't know how to help him right now Ino." The sadness of losing her best friend and the feeling of losing Sasuke was too much for her. Her eyes started to well up with tears and there was a catch in her throat threatening to break free.

Ino rested her hand on Sakura's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. She didn't know how to help them any more than Sakura did but she had to try something. "Sakura you're doing everything you can." She reassured her. "You just have to be there for him when he's ready to be more open about how he's feeling, just give him time." She said with a smile hoping she was helping.

Sakura straighten up tears still in her eyes but no longer about to fall. She looked at Ino wiping away the tears and said "Thank you Ino that made me feel a bit better." Again the light of Sasuke's jutsu flared into life.

"Anytime Sakura, that's what friends are for" Ino replied. She heard the sound of someone using the Body Flicker technique behind her. Turning around she found a man dressed in all black ninja gear with a white Anbu mask standing a few feet behind her. Walking up to the Anbu messenger she asked what she could do for him.

"Miss Yamanaka you and your team are to report to the Hokage immediately for a mission briefing." He told her as a matter of fact, leaving no room for discussion. As quickly as he appeared he was gone.


End file.
